My Final Reflection Video

Project # 16

My Final Report on my PLN

 

Since my last report of my PLN, I have added several more tiles to my Symbaloo. I have really enjoyed using it over the semester because it has all the web pages that I need in one spot. I love that if I find a website that I want to re-visit I can just add it to my PLN and it will be there forever. Besides the tiles that Symbaloo gave me when I started, I now have over ten tiles. I plan on continuing to use and grow my PLN after EDM 310, and I also plan to show my future students how to use it as well.

Here is a list of my tiles
1.The St.Elmo Explorers Blog
2.CNN
3.USA Jag E-Mail
4.NEA Homepage
5.68 Ways for iPad in a Classroom
6.Lady Bug's Teacher Files Blog
7.Beg, Borrow, and Steal Blog
8.USA Online
9.EDM 310 Class Blog
10.ESPN
11.Forever 21
12.Blogger
13.Mrs. Bemer's Kindergarten Blog
14.Discoverey Education

C4T 7 & 8

The C4T blog that I was assigned was called 2 cents Worth. The most recent blog post that I commented on was Upcoming North Carolina Science Conference in which David Warlick explained about conferences. He stated that it is hard for educators to attend conferences due to the lack of money these days. However, he explained that the "Science Online" was a conference that is important for teachers to attend. In my comment, I explained that when I have the opportunity to attend conferences I will take it up. I believe that conferences are very important for educators to attend because it betters their knowledge which will help better the knowledge of students.

The last C4T that I was assigned was the same blog as before, but I commented on a more recent blog post, 12 Ways To Provoke Supportive Learning Conversations at Home. In David Warlick's post, he gave twelve tips to start learning conversations at home. For example, one of the tips was to get the students' brothers and/or sisters to join the conversation about school and their experiences. In my comment to Mr. Warlick, I explained that I really enjoyed reading his post and that he gave wonderful tips about engaging students in creative and fun learning as well as their parents. I also stated that I plan to one day use several of his given tips in my future classroom.

C4K

For Yollis'365 Project, I was assigned to comment on Leila's neighborhood Tree blog post. Leila had taken a picture of a tree whose leaves were changing colors and asked Mrs.Yollis why she thought the trees in Boston changed before the leaves in her hometown. She also asked what color the leaves are on the tree. In my comment, I explained that I saw brown, green, orange, and yellow leaves and that I had several trees in my yard that looked like the one in her picture.

I was assigned to read Eleva's Blog @ Pt England School. In the blog post, Eleva described the introduction of the Rugby World Cup and she also uploaded a video of the introduction. In my comment, I explained that she described the introduction very well.I was able to do so because I could watch the introduction and she what she actually saw.

Blog Post 14

I was quite excited to do this blog post, because I love learning different ways to incorporate technology in my future classroom. I agreed with all of Jose Picardo's Top Ten Tips for Using Technology in the Classroom. I love the fact of using videos and music during a lesson. I believe that it will keep the children interested in learning and having fun while learning as well and student's learn better when they are having fun. However, I also believe that it is important to incorporate their own devices, such as an iPod or cell phone, in your classroom. Picardo's list of resources for teachers is among my favorite thing that I have read in EDM 310. As a future teacher, I plan to use the resources that he has provided to better technology in my classroom. I defiantly book marked Jose Picardo's blog.

Another tip that I was interested in was creating my own interactive exercises. I am not familiar on how exactly to do this, but I do plan on learning more about it and using it in my future classroom. Like in my former blog post, I explained that I plan to have class blog. Picardo's tip #7 was exactly what I plan to do. I believe that class blogs are important not only for students to keep up with the class, but parents as well. A blog would be perfect for posting due dates and upcoming assignments for the class.

Blog Post 13

For blog post 13, I choose option 2, which was reading the My Teacher Is An App article. The title of the article explains it all. Stephanie Banchero and Stephanie Simon, the authors of the article, explain that roughly 250,000 students are signed up for full-time online schools. These students ranging from Kindergarten through twelfth grade are able to access their school work and test from the comfort of their own house. The article also explains that some high schools require students to take at least one online class to get prepared for college. The schools that offer the full-time online classes don't have as many teachers as the other schools, because all they do is answer phones and emails, and video conference with students and parents. However, some schools like the Southwest Learning Centers require students to attend class at least 14 hours a week with their choice of what days they want to come.

I have mixed feelings about the online schools. Like the example given in the article, students learn better by watching videos and interacting with their school work rather than just listening to the teacher lecturing. I know that some students wouldn't do good with online class because they would procrastinate with their school work and end up not doing it. However, I believe that it is important for teachers to use video clips, pictures, and other interesting visual aids in their classroom to keep the students' attention. I also believe that technology needs to play a huge role in classrooms, because it is on the rise and students' must be familiar with it.

Special Assignment #1

I understood the metaphor that Tom Johnson used in his blog post. I had to read the post several times before understanding his meaning. It thought it was a very clever idea to make the readers think and use context clues to figure out the meaning.

The Merriam-Webster Website defines metaphor:
1.) a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them.

I believe that we teachers use metaphors to enhance our stories and speech. Like Dr. Strange said in his blog post about this assignment, you cannot escape metaphors. I cannot go one day without using one because it is so natural. I think that teachers use metaphors to make their students think and use context clues in sentences to figure out what they are saying.

Examples of metaphors:
1.) The United States is the melting pot
2.)The dog was as fast as lighting
3.) Military men are known as chess men

C4K #10 Assignment

Before exploring Mrs. Yollis' class blog, I thought it was just an ordinary teacher blog. I was defiantly wrong. Mrs. Yollis' blog has a link for everything and seems very helpful for her students. Her students are able to be reminded for the HTML codes if they forget. They are also able to access her website from the blog homepage. Like her class blog, Mrs. Yollis' website very helpful too. It has a link to the spelling lists, lessons, and educational games for everyone to access. Viewers of Mrs. Yollis' class blog are able to see the counts of views from all over the world. The numbers are unbelievable. It is amazing to know that students from different countries are able to communicate so easily.

I also noticed while browsing over Mrs. Yollis' blog that she had several links for teachers. On her class website, she has a links to blogging tips for teachers. She also has a link on her class blog, Educational Blogging Resources for Teachers, that extremely helpful for teachers that want to blog. I really enjoyed reading through Mrs. Yollis' class blog and website. I learned numerous ideas and ways that I can use a blog in my future classroom.

Project #15

Progress Report on Final Project

For Project 15, Nikita Ladner, Eric Manheim and I will be making a video about the top five things to be successful in EDM 310. Nikita and I will play the role of the responsible and successful students. Eric, on the other hand, will play the role of the irresponsible student that procrastinates. This video will help future EDM 310 students to see the difference between how to conduct yourself in EDM 310 and how not to.

Project #14 Skype Interview

Blog Post 12

I have to say that I am addicted to Pinterest and while browsing on the website for hours I found an amazing article, 20 Amazing iPad Apps for Educators. I personally do not have an iPad, hopefully that will change very soon, but I spoke with several teachers that said they have iPads in their classrooms. This article gives 20 very good apps that will help an educator in their classroom. My blog post assignment is to pick five apps that you could use in you classroom and briefly explain how you could incorporate them into your classroom.

1.) Docs Anywhere- It is an app that allows you to work from any document and computer and then can transfer to the iPad by iTunes or USB. I believe that I would most defiantly use this as an educator because I love working from my laptop, however it is much easier to carry an iPad around all day. This app would allow me to make slide shows, word documents, or pictures from my laptop and transfer them to my iPad.

2.) Pages- Pages is an app that helps educators easily make test, notes, quizzes, handouts etc and file share them also. The app also allows educators to put pictures, graphs, tables or anything to better illustrate the information that is given. I would use Pages to better my communication with not only my students but their parents as well. It would make designing test, handouts, and quizzes fast and easy with the help from pages.

3.) Mobile Air Mouse- The name says it all! This app allows teachers to use their iPad as a keyboard, trackpad, or remote control that helps during lesson. It also makes it easier to incorporate technology in the classroom by letting the students help the teacher with visual aids during the lesson.

4.) Keynote- I believe as a future Elementary/Special Ed teacher I would use this app all the time. Keynote is a very helpful app that allows teachers to access wonderful visual aids for their lessons. Children love to look at pictures and other aids and it also keeps them focused during class. Teachers are able to present charts, tables, or pictures to the entire class by hooking the iPad up to the class computer. I believe that having visual aids during lessons adds fun and excitement to the lesson.

5.) LanSchool Teacher's Assistant- As technology is on the rise, it is our jobs as educators to better educate our students with the use of technology. Students are able to use the internet to find valuable information but it is important to keep them safe. The LanSchool Teacher's Assistant allows teachers to block any bad pictures or website and limit websites that students can access. This app is wonderful for teachers to monitor what the students are doing. I would use this in my classroom because I want my students to be able to access the internet without getting into trouble. I believe that it is very essential to teach children the importance of internet safety.

C4K

I was assigned to read the post Dartanian Visits Paris on the "Room 10 At Pt England School" class blog. Dartanian made a video about visiting Paris. In my comment, I explained that I was happy to see students make videos and post them onto blogs.


The second C4K I was assigned to comment on was Room 17 at Pt England School. I commented on the blog post, Wales and Italy. It was posted by a student who did research on Wales and Italy and wrote a post about them and also made a video. In my comment, I explained that I enjoyed reading the post and that I also learn several new facts about Wales and Italy. I also explained that I was thrilled to see students engaging into technology.


The third C4K that I was assigned to read was on the on Mr.McClung's World blog. The title of the post that I was assigned was "The Middle Ages...". The teacher asked his students to think about life back in the middle ages and the students reacted by writing on the board "life in the middle ages sucked". When I read this post, I laughed extremely hard. But in my comment, I explained that I knew where they were coming from. I can't imagine going back in time and not having television, computers, or video games.

Bog Post 11

After watching the videos about Ms. Cassidy's class being involved with technology, I am very motivated to do the same with my classroom. I loved seeing the different ways that technology was used in her classroom in the video First Grader's In Ms. Cassidy's Class. Her students looked like they really enjoyed learning because they were able to do their work on the computer or the smart board. I believe that it is very important for students to enjoy learning so they will never get bored or tired of doing the same thing every single day. Technology has so many gateways to teaching and learning. I can see myself having a class web page and allowing my future students to access it and play games or learn about material that will help them in my classroom. I love the fact that in Skype interview with Ms. Cassidy she mentioned that she uses her students' class blogs as a portfolio of their work. Their parents can go on the student's blog at any time and see the progress that is being made. I cannot agree more with Ms. Cassidy on the fact that technology will never go away. Like she said in the interview, we cannot teach the students with the same kind of materials that were used several years ago because so much has changed.

As a future teacher, I plan to incorporate technology everyday in my classroom. Like I mentioned earlier, I plan to have a web page for my classroom where I will have links and games for the students to further their learning. I also plan to allow students to use the smart board as well. Students love being able to play with technology and they see it as a treat. If learning on the smart board motivates them to pay attention in class, I am all for it! As Ms. Cassidy explained, safety on the internet it a very important matter. I will most definitely teach my students the important of staying safe on the internet. I must also send home letters to the parents asking for their permission for their children's work to be posted on the blog. I have learned several different approaches to using technology in my classroom by watching the videos of Ms. Cassidy.

C4T 5 & 6

I was assigned to read the blog Don't Waste Your Time for my C4T 5. On that blog, I read the most recent blog post "Video: A Brief History Of Tech In Education". It was a short video that went over the technological advances in technology. i really enjoyed watching the video because it brought back so many memories of me being a student in elementary school.

The second blog post that I read was called "eBook and eReaders (Infographic)". It was about the statistics of people that use eBooks and eReaders. In my opinion, I think they are wonderful devices because you are able to take several books around with you and it only feels like one. Click here and you are able to see the statistics.

Blog Post 10

After watching the video Do you Teach or Do you Educate? I felt very inspired to educate rather than just teacher. I loved the the words that were used in the video. For example, an educator enlightens, inspires, and empowers students. An educator is someone who provides his or her students with instruction and also advises students to the right path. Teachers often just teach the materials needed just to get through the day. However, in most cases the students didn't learn so they are just pushed off on another teacher. As a future educator, I plan to work with my students in the areas needed. I must guide them and mentor them instead of pushing them to another teacher. I believe that teachers/educators are much more than that because in some cases certain students do not have the right guidance at home as they should.
This video also reminded me of EDM 310. As explained in this course, most courses are "burp back" education when the teacher drills information into your head and you have to spit it back out on a test. I feel that educators must not always use this method. I plan to instruct students rather than lecturing them and expecting them to understand quickly. I believe that EDM 310 has prepared me to become and educator rather than just a teacher.

I really enjoyed reading the blog post, Tom Johnson's Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home!. However, I was a bit confused at first. After reading through the other blog posts and after reading former EDM 310 students' blogs I can to the conclusion that the pencils were actually computer. I find it funny that the man thought computers were lowing test scores. Some people don't exactly understand how helpful technology really is. Johnson goes on the explain that low-income areas believe that computers are used for fun and games rather than educational things because they were never taught how to use it. Johnson explains that he has met with the parents to teach them how to use the computers and when the students go home they have fun projects to keep them interested.
I believe that technology is very important to learn at a young age. Especially in today's society. Some people of previous generations do not understand the importance of technology, like Gertrude, the School Curriculum Instructional Interventionist Academic Specialist. I think it is important for not only educators to understand technology but parents as well. Mr. Johnson's idea of having a program for the parents was and excellent one. As a teacher I plan to incorporate technology in my everyday lesson plans.

Blog Post 9

I really enjoyed reading the blog post What I've Learned This Year (09). Mr. Joe McClung explained in his post that he learned seven major things in his first year teaching.
1.) How to Read the Crowd
2.) Be Flexible
3.) Communicate
4.) Be Reasonable
5.) Don't be Afraid of Technology
6.) Listen to Your Students
7.) Never Stop Learning

I learned so much about being a "young and experienced teacher" from reading his post. During my first year of teaching I plan to follow Mr. McClung's words of advice to make me a better teacher.


Mr. McClung's second post What I Learned This Year (10) was about his second year of teaching in a new state and a new sudject. He explained that he was defiantly out of his comfort zone but that teachers should adapt to their surroundings. He had to teach a whole new subject and curriculum and he had to adapt to his new school and subject. McClung found out that his social studies students wasn't ever taught to think for themselves. he explained that it can be frustrating at times. He goes on to explain that when someone first becomes a teacher they should find a "school momma" which is someone that has been there longer and could help you through tough times. Joe McClung states that he learned to leave his ego at the door and that other teachers should too. Also, he explains to teachers not to loose sight of what really matters.



Joe McClung's last post was What I learned This Year (11). This year has been the first year that he has taught at the same school for more than one year and it has brought more change into his life. He explains that he is a coach of the cross-country team and he is also the computer applications teacher. Once again, McClung goes through the things/lessons that he has learned throughout the year.
1.) Know Who Your Boss Is
2.) Don't Expect Others to be as Excited About Change as You Are
3.) Don't be Afraid to be an Outsider
4.) Don't Touch the Keyboard
5.) Don't get Comfortable


I can honestly say that I enjoyed reading Joe McClung's blog posts. Like McClung, I plan to have and open mind and learn every single year that I am a teacher. I am excited to see the challenges that I face and the changes that will happen throughout my years as a teacher.

Project 13

Project 12

Project 11

Blog Post 8

After watching This Is How We Dream Parts 1, I realize more that the web is so much more helpful. Mr. Miller explains that all of his projects that he worked on was written with muli-media. He was able to quickly find information about our government rather than searching for it in a book. I believe that I am prepared to write in multi-media and that EDM 310 is helping me tremendously with it. I plan to teach my future students the importance of writing in multi-media because it will be their future.

In the video This Is How We Dream Part 2, Mr. Miller discusses the different ways to write in mulit-media. The information is updated instantly right before your eyes. Miller explains that there are people who make visual representation of a certain subject and how they collect the data to compose it. iTunes U is another wonderful thing that is available right and tip of everyone's fingers. Miller thinks that there will be a time that students will not only compose their information on word processor, but on "digital composing material". He explains that his publication was distributed through YouTube and within three months it was all over the web. If he would have just written and sent it off it wouldn't have come out until at least two years later. Miller sates that this is a way to push ideas into our culture and we should all want to do that. He ends in video by talking about his dream to build a building onto the one he teaches in. The building would bring together the best of the sciences and the best of the humanities.

I believe that I could learn more about ways to write in multi-media and how to be better at it. As a teacher that will one day be teaching students who are technologically advanced, I believe that it will be important to teach my students all about muli-media. I am edger to learn more about technology and what I can not only use in my classroom, but what I can teach my students. This, I believe, will make me a better teacher.



Carly's Post
First of all, I believe that Carly does an excellent job at writing her blog post. I also thought that her assignment was quite interesting. It fits Mr. Miller's hopes of writing in multi-media because everything assigned is through multi-media. It will let the students explore the media by using other "digital composing material".



I think that I would like to participate in a video that explains to upcoming EDM 310 students the importance of this class. I would also like to add things in the video that would make people get excited and willing to learn more. Having fun while learning, I believe, is a key to successful learning. If I was to make a video, I would explain the fun we have in the class, as well as the importance of it. However, one other idea that I have is similar to the video, "EDM 310 for Dummies" because I would explain the ways to make this class easier to understand and successful.



Learn to Change, Change to Learn.
I have to agree with the arguments made in this video because I feel that "schools are like factories". I can remember when I was in elementary school we only got to go to the computer lab once a week. It was a little disappointing because we all loved it so much. I believe that schools should incorporate all types of technology in the schools, starting in elementary. One of the speakers in the video explains that the students in schools today will not be using the "vending machine answers" in their future. I honestly have to agree with that. I is the like "burp-back" education that is explained in EDM 310.

1st Progress Report On My PLN Project #10

Once I figured out how to use Symbaloo I never wanted to stop talking about it. I learned how to make my own icon with the website of my choice, which is really helpful. I watched a few videos on other PLNs and it is so interesting to me. I think it would be awesome for my future students to have PLNs to help them with their classwork. I will definitely be using my PLN for other classes now and in my future.

Blog Post 7

I can honestly say that I really enjoyed watching Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams. The three points of his video was his childhood dreams, enabling the dreams of others, and how you achieve your dreams. From the beginning of the video I realized that he was a very determined person, even as a child. Randy Pausch had several childhood dreams. However, so he knew that would never happen. He explained that he had a wonderful childhood and in every childhood picture he was smiling. He also goes on to explain that it is very important to have specific dreams. He knew he could never make it to the NFL but that didn't stop him from trying. he stated that he got more from not accomplishing his NFL dream than the dreams that he did accomplish. Being able to get the fundamentals down before getting fancy is very important. Later on in his video, Pausch states a quote, "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you want". I couldn't agree more. AS a teacher, I plan to teach my students that you can learn from what you didn't achieve. It should only make you work harder. For example, Pausch says that the brick walls are there for a reason.

I believe that Randy Pausch was amazing at helping students achieve their dreams. he created a course called Building Virtual Worlds. It is basically a course on childhood dreams. The course has 50 students from art, design, drama, and CS. The students are picked randomly for teams that work on a project for two weeks. After the two weeks, the students are moved to a different team. Randy Pausch didn't know what to expect from the first project but he was shocked at how well the students did. He had to call his mentor and ask for advice on what to do next. His mentor said to go tell the students that they did a great job but they could do better. I didn't know how to take this at first but once he explained it I realized that was really good advice. I believe it is good advice because it would make the students work harder. I plan to use this teaching method in my future classroom and get a good reaction out of it.

Randy Pausch went on to explain about an ETC course in his video. It is a project based and hands on course. For example, the students would use video games to teach people things. What students wouldn't like to do that? Pausch explains this as being a "head fake" which is a good way to teach. It means having the students think they are learning something else but instead learning something meaningful. The students wouldn't realize that they are learning because they are having so much fun. This is another teaching method I plan to use in my future classroom. I want my students to have fun in my classroom and learn at the same time. I believe that it will make them want to learn more in the future.

The lessons learned that Randy Pausch explains about in his video are very useful. He explains that it starts with the parents and they should teach their children to help others. His parents helped students go to school in Thailand and passed it down to him. Eventually him and his wife helped on the same project. I feel that children watch their parents and therefore parents should be a good role model for their children. I also feel that teachers are role models too. A a parent and teacher, I plan to teacher my students and children to help others when in need. I plan to also teach them to never loose their "child-like wonders". It is very important to dream and strive to achieve them.

Project 9b

I received my information from the website Big Apple History.

C4T 3 & 4

I was assigned to read the blog, Cooperative Catalyst. The blog post, "The decline of thinking outside the box" explains that IQ scores are rising but the creativity in children is falling. I think that it is heartbreaking to know that some children will never get a chance to express their creativity. I believe that every child is creative in his or her own way. However, I think that it is rather interesting that IQ scores are rising and creativity declining. How is that so? As a teacher, I plan to make my students be as creative as they can be. Being a creative person will only better themselves in their future.


I was unable to read that blog of the specific person that I was assigned on the blog, Cooperative Catalyst. However, I just read the main blog post, which was Knowing and I Don't Knowing. The blog post is about an educator that realizes that students respond with I don't know more than they should. The writer explains that he once used the slogan "What you don't know today, you will know tomorrow" in his classroom. I explained in my comment that I agree very much so with the blog post. I had a professor in the past that would research every question from me or my fellow classmates if she didn't know the answer. She would have the answer the very next day and also an explanation of it. Lastly, I stated that I really enjoyed reading this blog post and appreciated the opportunity to do so.

Blog Post 6

The video The Networked Student by Wendy Drexler explains about a student who attends 21st Century High School three days a week and online the other two days of the week. The student has no textbook and must research information on his topic of American Psychology. His teacher believes in connectivism which allows to to connect with other students through social media.

The question "why does the networked student even need a teacher?" was asked at the end of the video.The video goes on to explain that the teacher is there to help the student build a network and explain how to use it. The teacher is also there for guidance when the student gets stuck and teaches the students how to communicate properly. Being able to tell the difference between good information and non useful information is also a reason that a networked student needs a teacher. Last but not least, the teacher explains to the students how to turn web search into a scavenger hunt.

As I was watching this video I began to think that a networked student didn't really need a teacher. However, the video explained exactly why a networked student does need a teacher. For example, the student wouldn't know the proper rules for web searching. I believe that there should be more classes like this on in high schools and even in middle schools. It would prepare students for future schooling and jobs. I believe that I am ready to teach children about web search and show them the potential that they have.

After watching the video, A 7th Grader's Personal Learning Environment,I believe that every school should allow the classes to be like the one in the this video. There are many pros about having a class online. It would teach students to be very organized and creative. Having a class online allows students to express their creativity more than doing busy book work. It also is help to have everything you need for the class right in their computer. I am very excited to learn more about technology and the way that I can use it in my classroom.

Project #7 C4K Summary 1

The second students' blog that I commented was in Mrs. Kilgo's Class and his name was Evan. Evan briefly stated that he wanted to go to Paris to see the tower and to see the arts in Paris. I commented back stating that I would also love to go to Paris and see the Eiffel Tower. I also said that I would love to try some French food.


The third C4K that I was assigned to read was St. Elmo Explorers. The blog post , "Day One, Success", was about a class that was given iPads from the famous, Lucy Buffett. I think that it is a wonderful action that Ms. Buffett provided children with technology that will help them grow and learn. In today's society, the world is filled with technology and I believe that children need to learn and love technology.


The forth C4K that I was assigned to comment on was Laura's blog post, where I would love to visit and why on the class blog, Student Blogging Challenge. Laura listed ten places that she would love to visit and why. I explained that traveling around the world and seeing different places would be extremely fun. The places that Laura wanted to travel were Greenland, Chad, Madagascar, Bahamas, China, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, and Brazil. I agreed that would love to visit the Bahamas too. I think the water would be such a beautiful site to see.

Project 8

title= Devon, Nikita, Eric

Project 9

Blog Post 5

Scott McLeod J.D., Ph.D is an Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Kentucky and he is also the founding director of CASTLE. He was also a co-creator of the Did You Know? videos. After reading his blog post, Don't teach your kids this stuff. Please?, I was a little confused. I don't agree with most of his points that he is trying to make. However, I do understand his point of the safety issue. I believe that you should teach children safety of the internet, as well as in the "real world". In my opinion, children should love technology and learn about it. In today's society, the world is all about technology and so children will definitely need it to succeed in their future.


I can honestly say that I enjoyed watching the The iSchool Initiative (Mobile Learning0 and the Travis Allen's ZeitgeistYoungMinds entry (Mobile Learning) iSchool Initiative videos. Travis Allen was just an ordinary teenager that wondered why teachers were being laid off and class sizes were getting bigger. It is very hard to learn in a class where the teacher barely knows your name. Therefore, Allen created iSchool. The iSchool is basically a school or classroom on an iPod that allows the teachers, students, and even parents to access the work easily. It is also eco-friendly because everything is done electronically. Travis Allen believes that if the schools were to switch to iSchool the cost of paper, ink, books, and projectors would be eliminated.
Before taking EDM 310, my thoughts of iPads in the classroom were not what they are know. I just thought it was a waste of money and the students could not benefit from it. However, just five weeks into EDM 310 my thoughts have changed. Especially after watching Travis Allen's videos. I think that the iSchool is a wonderful idea. Not only would it benefit the teachers, but parents and students as well. I love the fact that everything the teacher needs is in the palm of his or her hand, as well as the students and parents. I am extremely excited to see if this project ends up in the school systems.


After watching Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir I was speechless. It is absolutely amazing what the internet can do. I mean how can you do that? Make 185 people that have never met or preformed together, a virtual choir. I am anxious to see what else the technological future has in store for the world.


In the video Teaching in the 21st Century, I believe that Kevin Roberts does a great job of explaining what it mans to teach in the 21st century. Children should be able to express their creativity in what they love so they would have a better understanding of what they want to make of their lives. Roberts explains that drilling children with information and expecting them to remember it is not the key. He goes on to explain that children should engage in education and have a hands on experience. I feel that teachers should teach their students to engage in what they love. I also believe that students should engage in technology because it has so many answers. As an educator, I plan to teach my students to engage in everything that they do because that is the information that will stick with them.

My Sentence Video

Blog Post 4

The first video that I watched about podcasting is The Benefits Of Podcasting In The Classroom by Joe Dale. I never knew how a teacher could incorporate a podcast in his or her classroom before watching this video. As a teacher, I plan to have a website created for my classroom and I would have podcast for every lesson that I teach. Therefore, if a student had to miss school they could listen to the lesson that they missed. I also believe that it would help parents understand what their children are doing in the classroom. I learned from this video that a student can download a podcast to an iPod or mP3 player and listen to it anywhere, which is a wonderful thing in this generation.


The second blog that I read about podcasting was the Eagles' Nest Radio & Class Blog, which is a blog that contains podcasts by third graders. The class did such an excellent job with the podcasts. They had been learning about sharks in class so they decided to interview a shark expert through a Skype video conference and put it on their blog. The third grade class also travels back into time and entertains their listeners with information about Ancient Rome. The blog, "Eagles' Nest Radio & Class Blog" is a great example of how technology is being used in the classroom.


The third article that I read was called 100 Ways to Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better. After reading this article I believe that every student should have an iPod. I honestly never knew that my iPod could be used to help me study. The article, "100 Ways To Use Your iPod to Learn and Study Better" taught me about every application, tutorial, podcast, study guide, tool, and download that I could use on my iPod. My mouth literally dropped while I was reading this article because it is amazing that classroom help is right at the tip of my fingertips. I can honestly say that I will be downloading and using my iPod more than ever after reading this article.

Project #5

Blog Post 3

Michael Wesch: A Vision of Students Today
By: Michael Wesch

The movie "A Vision of Students Today" is about students who don't seem to enjoy school. Different students hold up signs stating facts about what students really think about school. For example, one sign stated that the person had been on Facebook during class and not listening. As a student I can understand from their point of view. School sometimes is not the most exciting thing. I can get side track real easy when doing my work or listening in class. However, as a teacher's point of view it could be very frustrating. I would not be a happy teacher if I was teaching to a class of students who didn't care about school. I know sometime down the road I will have those types of students. I believe that it is my job to excite those children about school and their future



It's Not About The Technology
By: Kelly Hines

The blog post "It's Not About the Technology" by Kelly Hines explains that teaching is not just about technology. She explains that technology is a great tool but she doesn't agree that it should be the first thing to initiate in the classrooms. Hines goes on to explain that there are four things that every single teacher should recognize in order to positively and effectively impact the lives of the students of the new generation. The first thing is that teachers must be learners and be up to date on the current trends and tools. The second thing that Kelly Hines explains about is that teaching and learning are not the same thing. She believes that if you teach something and a students doesn't understand then it's useless. The forth thing is that technology is useless without good teaching. Technology is a wonderful tool and can be used to a your advantage.The last thing that Hines explains about is you should be a 21st Century teacher without using technology.

As I was reading this blog post, I began to realize how much I agreed with Kelly Hines. I believe that teachers should use the technology that is given them in an effective and useful way. I have seen too many teachers let their technology go to waste because they don't want to learn how to use it. I also agree with the fact that we should teach our kids with relying on technology to do the work for us.


Is It Okay To Be A Technological Illiterate Teacher?
By: Karl Fisch

"Is It Okay To Be A Technological Illiterate Teacher" is a blog post explaining why teachers should have technological literacy. Karl Fisch explains all educators must have some sort of basic level use of technology and if you don't then it's not something to be proud of. He goes on to explain that some people think that it's okay to not know how to work a computer. In today's society, all people should know some use of technology. Fisch explains that in the 1990's you could be successful and be technological illiterate. However, every year it is becoming harder and harder for people who are technological illiterate to be successful.

I believe that all teachers should be technological literate. We obviously live in a society where technology is all around and it keeps growing. Students should see that technology can advance their lives in many ways. In order for students to learn about technology, teachers must know how to teach it.


Gary Hayes Social Media Count
By: Gary Hayes

It is so crazy to see the numbers of the social media counts race in just seconds. It is hard to believe that technology is growing so fast in just one minute. I can't imagine what the numbers will look like in just one day. The numbers are breath taking to me. For example, 37,000,000 SMS messages sent in just 195 seconds or 90,000 iPhone apps downloaded in 275 seconds. This media count is a perfect example of what our society will be like in 20 years.

As a teacher, I believe that I should keep up with all of the social trends and share them with my students. For example, It is very important for teachers to show students what technology is capable of because those students are our future that will be filled with technology.

Project #3 C4T #1 & #2 Summary

The blog that I was assigned to comment on was Ideas and Thoughts by Dean Shareski. The first blog post that I commented on was called "Not better, But Different". Mr.Shareski posts a picture of a family that is all sitting together but everyone is reading either a book or magazine. He then posts another picture that is similar, but the family is either on a laptop or an iPod. Dean Shareski goes on to say that some people would see the first picture as being a great family evening together. However, he explains that being on the internet or listening to a podcast on iTunes is just as important as reading a book. Shareski shares a third picture at the end of his post with the same family interacting with each other. In my point of view, books and magazines can "destroy a community or family" as well as technology. I am a strong believer in spending quality time with your family. However, I also believe that alone time, whether it is reading a book or surfing the internet, is very important too.

The second blog post by Dean Shareski that I commented on was called "Why Joy Matters". Mr. Shareski participated in an event called Unplugged in which him and his fellow colleagues created a product called "What Matters Now". "What Matters Now" is book that is being released one chapter at a time. The chapter that Dean Shareski wrote and shared in his blog post "Why Joy Matters". The chapter explains that some children are not happy at home and their only escape is when they come to school. However, some schools are are stripping the joy from the classrooms. Teachers have been told that the most important things are test scores and different curriculums. Mr. Shareski states, "A joyful learning environment might be the most important thing you create for a child".
I could not agree more with the quote from Dean Shareski. I have had some school years when I dreaded going to school. I believe that it is very hard to learn in an environment like that. Children need a fun and joyful learning environment that they enjoy going to. As a teacher, I plan to design my classroom to be a joyful environment where my students look forward attending. I want my future students leaving my classroom at the end of the year being joyful learners and excited about the next step in their life.

Blog Assignment 2

Did You Know? 3.0
By: Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod
This is a great video that sums  the growth of technology in five minutes.  It was amazing to see the  numbers of technology use dramatically increase over a few year span. I can remember when  my family got our first computer and we barely used it. Now, I could not live without my laptop. This video states that the first text was sent out in 1992 and now the text sent out and received per day surpasses the total population. I can only imagine what the numbers will be in five or ten years.
 The children of today need to learn at an early age to be familiar with technology because they are our future. They ware being prepared for technological jobs that haven't been discovered yet.  Technology is always changing and it is to our benefit to keep up with it.  This video also explains that the world is changing year to yea as well. There is more information  in one week of New York Times than a person would come across in the 18th century. As the population grows and the world changes, so will technology.

Mr. Winkle Wakes
By: Mathew Needleman
In the video Mr. Winkle Wakes, Mr. Winkle wakes up from a 100 year sleep to find that he was lost in a world full of technology. He seen that machines printed out pictures and documents. He also seen that people all over the world could talk to each other and see each other on a small screen. Feeling sick, Mr. Winkle went to a hospital and found  the same type of machines as he found in the office building. He still was feeling sick and uncomfortable so he left. He later found comfort in a school. The school kids sat in their desks and listened to the teacher. Mr. Winkle found only one of those machines, but no one was using it.
In the world today, we know how important technology is. Mr. Winkle feels sick and uncomfortable because he is unfamiliar with the technology surrounding him. However,  many jobs today require some knowledge with technology. Mr. Winkle feels comfortable in the school because no technology was being used. Technology is very vital in schools because the children are the future and so is technology.

Sir Ken Robinson: The Importance Of Creativity
By: Ken Robinson
In this video, Ken Robinson explains the importance of creativity in education. He begins by saying that humans have a variety of extraordinary creativity. He also states that education will be taking us into an unknown future and we have no idea of what the future holds for us. Ken Robinson goes on to say that creativity is just as important in education as literature. He tells of a story of a little girl drawing God but not knowing what He looked like. He goes on to tell another story of a little boy who forgot his lines in a play. Robinson is explaining through these stories that children will take chances even if they are wrong. He goes on to say that if you are not prepared to be wrong then you will not come up with anything original. In the world today, adults are scared of being wrong and mistakes are the worst things you can make. Ken Robinson doesn't understand why schools don't teach things like dance everyday like they do mathematics. Children that have the ability to be creative grow up thinking they are not. Public schools are the world do not value creativity. Therefore, students never get the chance to be creative. Robinson explains that intelligence is diverse, dynamic, and distinct.
In the world today, so many children grow up with the knowledge that they are not creative. I believe that parents have an impact on the creativity of their child just as much as the school system does. My parents encouraged me to do many creative things in my childhood. In the schools, children are not able to express their creativity as much as they need to.

Cecelia Gault Interviews Sir Ken Robinson
By: Cecelia Gault
When Cecelia Gault interviews Sir Ken Robinson he explains that the curriculum has to change in schools by balancing science and arts. He goes on to say that schools need to make better use of technology so that the children of our future will have a better understanding of technology. Cecelia later asks Ken Robinson about three myths on creativity and what they are. The first myth is that only some people are creative. However, Robinson believes that everyone is creative. The second myth is that creativity is only about certain things, but you can be creative with anything. The third myth is that you are either creative or not. Robinson believes that you can teach people to be more creative.
When I become a teacher, I hope to teach my students to be creative with everything that they do. I believe that children learn better by being creative and having fun. I also plan to incorporate technology with almost everything that I do in my classroom.

Vicki Davis: Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts
In a small town of rural Georgia, teacher Vicki Davis uses every type of technology to connect her students to the world. She explains that every child has the ability to learn. However, only certain children can learn and succeed with paper and pencil.  Vicki Davis understands that every student is different and has different interests and strengths. She customizes her curriculum to help the students. She also teaches her students to become familiar with different types of technology and learn how to use it effectively. Some teachers believe that they need to know everything before they teach. However, Davis explains that isn't true because her students teach her new things. Her students connect with other students all over the world by creating the Flat Classroom project.
I admire the way Vicki Davis teaches. She lets her students explore and learn new things by themselves. I also  admire the fact that she teaches her students to use different types of technology. I believe that if every elementary, middle, and high school incorporated more technology in their schools some students would be more successful.

Project #2 Wordle

Blog Assignment 1

MY LIFE!
My name is Devon Weaver and I live across Mobile Bay in Loxley with my parents. I have one brother that is married and they are expecting their first baby girl, Ava Rebecca, in October. I am extremely excited about being an aunt. I went to Robertsdale High School and then went to Faulkner State Community College for my first two years of college. I choose USA because it was close to home. I plan to graduate in the spring of 2013 with a bachelor degree in Elementary Education/ Special Education. I loving dealing with children and I consider myself very patient. I chose Elementary Education because it is a rewarding career.  My mom is a director at Loxley First Baptist Childcare and has been for about ten years. This is the same daycare I grew up in and currently work there now. When I have free time I enjoy shopping and watching sports.




TIME MANAGEMENT!
The first thing I learned from Randy Pausch is that Americans are not good with time, but good with money. Another thing I caught from his speech was to do the things that are right instead of doing the wrong things "beautifully". I learned a better way to plan from watching Pausch's video which consists of planning each day, week and semester. The last thing that I learned from the video was a better understanding of how to create and fulfill a to-do list.